patricktaylor wrote:Pete Owens wrote:... it is almost always safer to overtake on the right. You need to ride according to how other road users actually behave, rather than how they should behave.
And the way they behave is that if you're stopped on the offside of a queue at the lights
Whether you are filtering to the left or the right it is a very bad idea to stop at the side. You should either filter in to the queue one or two cars back, or stop in front of the queue.
(and there is a right turn), they will assume you're turning right.
Just as when there is a left turn they will assume you are turning left (if they notice you at all). The big difference is that as soon as the lights go green left turning drivers do not expect any conflicting vehicle movements so will move off promptly without checking. If they are turning right they will normally have to wait for a gap in oncoming traffic so this will give you more warning.
In most cases there will be a dedicated RH queue at the lights. At this point it is better to filter between the lanes - that way you come out at the junction between diverging streams of traffic, rather than across the path of left turning vehicles.
When the lights turn green and everyone accelerates away, how can a slower cyclist 'filter' back over to the left?
As the traffic starts to move the gaps between the grow. It is just a matter of slipping into a gap as the traffic reaches your speed. You need filter back into the traffic stream whichever side you have been passing, and it is easier from the right due to drivers reluctance to undertake.
The only way I can think of is to grab the primary position before the first car to your left has a chance to get past on your inside - not easy -
You do need to plan ahead, see where a gap is likely to develop, adjust your speed and negotiate back into the traffic stream - just as you do if you are filtering on the left.
and then slide over left so they can overtake you.
You should adopt whatever road position is safe for the circumstances. If they want to overtake then it is up to them to move to the right and go round you - just the same as when you overtook them, except they will need more space to do this safely at the higher speeds.
This seems pretty risky, and almost impossible if there are several cyclists.
If you don't think you are capable of filtering back in then do not attempt to filter on either side; join the queue. Filtering is not for novices.
Whilst it may be true that it is almost always safer to overtake on the right, you can only overtake by going faster. Once the traffic has got moving, a cyclist will usually be slower.
Indeed, I must have been jumping ahead of myself. I should have made it clear that you should only attempt to overtake vehicles moving slower than yourself.
Whichever vehicle is doing the overtaking, should be to the right.
